I will be debating against the legalization or Marijuana in both medical and social use.

Marijuana should not be legalized. Many people who do Marijuana do it to get a "high." Many people also believe no harm can come from Marijuana, but Marijuana effects the nervous system and can negatively effect your brain. Things such as short term memory loss, slowed down reflexes, loss of brain cells, etc are all negative outcomes of the use of marijuana.

I just want to use this first round to settle all the basics of our views.

"Many people who do Marijuana do it to get a "high.""- What is wrong with that?

"Many people also believe no harm can come from Marijuana, but Marijuana effects the nervous system and can negatively effect your brain. Things such as short term memory loss, slowed down reflexes, loss of brain cells, etc are all negative outcomes of the use of marijuana."- I would like to see a source on this.

"Research into the effects of long-term cannabis use on the structure of the brain has yielded inconsistent results. It may be that the effects are too subtle for reliable detection by current techniques. A similar challenge arises in studies of the effects of chronic marijuana use on brain function. Brain imaging studies in chronic users tend to show some consistent alterations, but their connection to impaired cognitive functioning is far from clear. This uncertainty may stem from confounding factors such as other drug use, residual drug effects, or withdrawal symptoms in long-term chronic users."- So basically some scientists speculate the drug has negative effects, yet despite many studies, they cannot come up with any evidence.

"Not surprisingly, marijuana intoxication can cause distorted perceptions, impaired coordination, difficulty with thinking and problemsolving, and problems with learning and memory. Research has shown that, in chronic users, marijuana's adverse impact on learning and memory can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off.2 As a result, someone who smokes marijuana every day may be functioning at a suboptimal intellectual level all of the time."- These are the only proven effects of the drugs, of which most users are aware of and know that they are long term and it is their choice whether to risk these things or not.

"Estimates from research suggest that about 9 percent of users become addicted to marijuana"- That is quite a small figure, especially compared to tobacco which is legal.

"Long-term marijuana abusers trying to quit report withdrawal symptoms including: irritability, sleeplessness, decreased appetite, anxiety, and drug craving, all of which can make it difficult to remain abstinent. These symptoms begin within about 1 day following abstinence, peak at 2-3 days, and subside within 1 or 2 weeks following drug cessation."- These are pretty mild symptoms again, especially compared to tobacco which is legal.

"A number of studies have shown an association between chronic marijuana use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. Some of these studies have shown age at first use to be an important risk factor, where early use is a marker of increased vulnerability to later problems. However, at this time, it is not clear whether marijuana use causes mental problems, exacerbates them, or reflects an attempt to self-medicate symptoms already in existence."- Again, they cannot find and solid proof that the drug does any harm unlike many other drugs that are illegal and tobacco which is legal.

"Numerous studies have shown marijuana smoke to contain carcinogens and to be an irritant to the lungs. In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50-70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke. Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which further increase the lungs' exposure to carcinogenic smoke. Marijuana smokers show dysregulated growth of epithelial cells in their lung tissue, which could lead to cancer;6 however, a recent case-controlled study found no positive associations between marijuana use and lung, upper respiratory, or upper digestive tract cancers.7 Thus, the link between marijuana smoking and these cancers remains unsubstantiated at this time."- Yet again, they cannot find anything harmful about the drug in the long term.

"The potential medicinal properties of marijuana have been the subject of substantive research and heated debate. Scientists have confirmed that the cannabis plant contains active ingredients with therapeutic potential for relieving pain, controlling nausea, stimulating appetite, and decreasing ocular pressure. Cannabinoid-based medications include synthetic compounds, such as dronabinol (Marinol�) and nabilone (Cesamet�), which are FDA approved, and a new, chemically pure mixture of plant-derived THC and cannabidiol called Sativex�, formulated as a mouth spray and approved in Canada and parts of Europe for the relief of cancer-associated pain and spasticity and neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis."- They do know that it is an effective medicine.

Also, the legalization of the drug would stimulate our failing economy greatly. Marijuana is one of the most popular drugs in use. Lots of people would buy the drug and if the drug was taxed, it would stimulate the economy greatly. It would also minimize the dangers of the drug being dangerous because it was bought from unregulated producers who often lace the drug with more harmful drugs. There are ways to take the drug that minimize its possible harmful effects like ingesting it instead of smoking it.

I think the good effects of marijuana being legalized outweigh the possible bad effects by far.

The problem with "just getting a high" is that it will become too common of a thing. If we legalize marijuana it is going to turn into people just inside all day on their couches getting stoned. These people don't know responsibility. The people who do this now, go out and drive right after, which is harming other people.

"Long-term marijuana abusers trying to quit report withdrawal symptoms including: irritability, sleeplessness, decreased appetite, anxiety, and drug craving, all of which can make it difficult to remain abstinent. These symptoms begin within about 1 day following abstinence, peak at 2-3 days, and subside within 1 or 2 weeks following drug cessation." So what you are saying is that marijuana does have symptoms. I do not know how you can say these are mild, when it can lead to drug cravings and when it can cause anxiety. These are both very serious symptoms. Drug cravings can lead to other drugs. Marijuana is considered a gateway drug. It can lead to even more harmful drugs if
addicted to it.http://www.acde.org...

"Numerous studies have shown marijuana smoke to contain carcinogens and to be an irritant to the lungs. In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50-70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke. Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which further increase the lungs' exposure to carcinogenic smoke. Marijuana smokers show dysregulated growth of epithelial cells in their lung tissue, which could lead to cancer;6 however, a recent case-controlled study found no positive associations between marijuana use and lung, upper respiratory, or upper digestive tract cancers.7 Thus, the link between marijuana smoking and these cancers remains unsubstantiated at this time." This fact states that numerous studies show that "marijuana smoke contains carcinogens and is an irritant to the lungs," but then one case shoes otherwise. Would you believe a study that has been done multiple times or a study that has only been done once? Carcinogens are very harmful, so I don't understand why you say otherwise.

Marijuana can cause people to hallucinate It can also cause bronchitis and chest colds in long time users. It also can reduce learning abilities.

"Long-term marijuana abuse can lead to addiction; that is, compulsive drug seeking and abuse despite the known harmful effects upon functioning in the context of family, school, work, and recreational activities. Estimates from research suggest that about 9 percent of users become addicted to marijuana; this number increases among those who start young (to about 17 percent) and among daily users (25-50 percent)." This just shows that marijuana is addictive. That many people who start marijuana continue to do it. We already know the negative effects that come with it. Why would we want more people to start by legalizing it.

The government should especially be trying to stop young people form using marijuana. Studies show bad outcomes of marijuana users that are young. "Chronic marijuana use, especially in a very young person, may also be a marker of risk for mental illnesses - including addiction - stemming from genetic or environmental vulnerabilities, such as early exposure to stress or violence. Currently, the strongest evidence links marijuana use and schizophrenia and/or related disorders.4 High doses of marijuana can produce an acute psychotic reaction; in addition, use of the drug may trigger the onset or relapse of schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals." This just shows why we should be stopping the use of marijuana.

Lastly I do not agree with your theory, of how legalizing marijuana would help the economy. Their is no way we could no this first of all. Secondly, just because it may stimulate the economy does not mean we should legalize it.. The harm that marijuana causes should be why it stays illegal.

"The problem with "just getting a high" is that it will become too common of a thing."- Are you serious? People are already smoking so much marijuana. Marijuana is the most commonly used drug in the U.S. It is extremely common already. I doubt more people would use it if it was legal because we would still have those anti-drug programs that cause people not to do so. If anything, legalizing it would make it safer for those who already smoke marijuana and those around them because it would have to pass health inspections.

"I do not know how you can say these are mild, when it can lead to drug cravings and when it can cause anxiety. These are both very serious symptoms. Drug cravings can lead to other drugs. Marijuana is considered a gateway drug. It can lead to even more harmful drugs if
addicted to it."- These symptoms ARE mild. Many medications given to people by doctors have just as bad or worse symptoms. The people using the drug know the symptoms, and it is up to them if they want to go through that. Not to mention that those withdrawal symptoms are so mild compared to that of tobacco smokers. If tobacco can be legal and be much worse for you and harder to get off of, why not marijuana which can have good effects while tobacco has none? It is "considered" a gateway drug. So what? Those who want to do marijuana are already finding ways to get it. Those people are going to get into heavier drugs with or without legalization of marijuana. Let's make it safer and easier for those people to get a drug that isn't so harmful so that they might not turn to heavier ones.

"This fact states that numerous studies show that "marijuana smoke contains carcinogens and is an irritant to the lungs," but then one case shoes otherwise. Would you believe a study that has been done multiple times or a study that has only been done once? Carcinogens are very harmful, so I don't understand why you say otherwise."- Wait where do you get off saying that only one case says that? It does not state that. They wouldn't have mentioned it if there wasn't substantial reason to say that they cannot prove that marijuana has any bad effects on the lungs. What the article said was that it is an "irritant to the lungs", not that it caused cancer or was terrible for you.

"This just shows that marijuana is addictive. That many people who start marijuana continue to do it. We already know the negative effects that come with it. Why would we want more people to start by legalizing it."- This showed how uncommon it is to get addicted to marijuana. Many many more people get addicted to tobacco which is legal.

""Chronic marijuana use, especially in a very young person, may also be a marker of risk for mental illnesses - including addiction - stemming from genetic or environmental vulnerabilities, such as early exposure to stress or violence. Currently, the strongest evidence links marijuana use and schizophrenia and/or related disorders.4 High doses of marijuana can produce an acute psychotic reaction; in addition, use of the drug may trigger the onset or relapse of schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals." This just shows why we should be stopping the use of marijuana."-

What my opponent cleverly left out was this part of the article: "However, at this time, it is not clear whether marijuana use causes mental problems, exacerbates them, or reflects an attempt to self-medicate symptoms already in existence."- Which shows that they do not know if depressed people use marijuana to feel happy, or if the marijuana is making them depressed. This is very important.

"Lastly I do not agree with your theory, of how legalizing marijuana would help the economy. Their is no way we could no this first of all. Secondly, just because it may stimulate the economy does not mean we should legalize it.. The harm that marijuana causes should be why it stays illegal."- First of all, "it will never work" is an unsubstantiated claim. You have to prove why it will never work. Obviously our government is not concerned with the peoples' health or tobacco would also be illegal. Why is it not? Because the government is given a lot o money from tobacco producers. The real reason marijuana is illegal is because it would decrease tobacco sales tremendously and those companies would greatly suffer. The government thinks it cannot afford this to happen. If marijuana was legal, it would decrease the amount of people smoking tobacco and they would be turning to a much much less addictive drug that cannot be linked to any long-term harm that is also infinitely less harmful to them than tobacco.

I never said "it will never work." I said their is no way for us to know if it will work or not. It was your claim that was unsubstantiated, their is no way for us to know how the legalization of marijuana would effect society.

And yes I am serious. We already know marijuana is the most common used drug. Their are plenty of people who don't do it though because it is illegal. If we legalize marijuana more people would want to do it, since it would be legal. It would turn into people being high all the time and not caring. Keeping marijuana illegal is not going to stop the people who already do marijuana from continuing to do it, it will just stop more people from starting.

I know we won't agree on the topic of side effects, but it is an important topic. Not everyone knows all the side effects of marijuana. They may be mild compared to other drugs, but they also may be more severe compared to other drugs. Either way they are negative responses to the use of the drug.

As you responded "This just shows why we should be stopping the use of marijuana.,"this is exactly what we should be doing. Not only should marijuana should be illegal, but we should be cracking done on stopping it.

"However, at this time, it is not clear whether marijuana use causes mental problems, exacerbates them, or reflects an attempt to self-medicate symptoms already in existence."--This is just one source. There are other sources that say otherwise that go in both directions. It is neither proving or disproving the claim. So we can't lean toward either direction. It is just unknown according to this source.

"Marijuana contains known toxins and cancer-inducing chemicals, which are stored in fat cells for long periods of time. Scientific research relates marijuana use to damaged brain cells and respiratory systems, decreased hormone production in both sexes, acute memory loss, lowered immune systems and impaired motor skills. THC and marijuana smoke have been directly linked to miscarriage, in-uteri fetal death, stillbirth and infant death just after birth, along with behavioral and biological abnormalities of offspring." These are all negative outcomes of the drug. Marijuana causes a lot of problems that many people do not know about. Keeping the drug illegal will keep others away from these negative outcomes.

My opponent also left out that..."Research clearly demonstrates that marijuana has the potential to cause problems in daily life or make a person's existing problems worse. In one study, heavy marijuana abusers reported that the drug impaired several important measures of life achievement, including physical and mental health, cognitive abilities, social life, and career status.9 Several studies associate workers' marijuana smoking with increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers' compensation claims, and job turnover." Marijuana effects the way a person behaves. This just shows some outcomes that can come if the use of marijuana is part of ones life.

In regards to tobacco, in my opinion tobacco shouldn't be legal either, but you could say the same about a lot of other drugs as well. We don't have the choice to pick what is legal and what is illegal, but we do have the choice to do the right thing and make the right decisions. Not having all these drugs in society would make society a better place

"Their are plenty of people who don't do it though because it is illegal. If we legalize marijuana more people would want to do it, since it would be legal. It would turn into people being high all the time and not caring. Keeping marijuana illegal is not going to stop the people who already do marijuana from continuing to do it, it will just stop more people from starting."- Maybe some don't do it because it is illegal, but after it being illegal for so long and having so much bad media shoved in their faces about the drug, do you really think they will just start in on it right away? You don't think people like you who think it is so awful and the bad media it gets won't still influence a lot of people? I think that the people who want to do it are doing it now, and the ones that don't want to still won't want to. But, legalizing it would make it safer for those that do it and help in many other ways.

The whole hype about that it makes people just sit around and do pot all day is completely false. I know so many people that smoke weed on a regular basis and not one of them is like that. One of them is a musical prodigy, a lot of others are great at sports, others are top students, and they all maintain jobs and their school work. There are a small minority that act the way you are afraid of. In all the places I have been around the world, I have met a lot of pot smokers and never met one like that. I think that that stereotype was made up by the media to get kids not to smoke weed since lot of that media is backed by tobacco companies.

"I know we won't agree on the topic of side effects, but it is an important topic. Not everyone knows all the side effects of marijuana. They may be mild compared to other drugs, but they also may be more severe compared to other drugs. Either way they are negative responses to the use of the drug."- Sure, but all drugs, including legal ones have negative side effects. If people do not know the side effects, that is their fault for not being responsible abut using the drug. Also, if they have bad side effects that they weren't expecting, they probably won't do the drug again. Those who know the side effects and still want to use it should be allowed to as they are allowed to use many other drugs.

"but we should be cracking done on stopping it."- The illegality of the drug is what makes it the most dangerous. It leads to theft, shady dealing, dealers lacing the drug, and other bad effects. These would all be reduced and easily prevented with its legalization because it would have to be regulated, pass health inspections, and other such safety measures.

"This is just one source. There are other sources that say otherwise that go in both directions. It is neither proving or disproving the claim. So we can't lean toward either direction. It is just unknown according to this source."- Other sources have shown that it irritates the lungs. I have never seen a source saying it does more than that. The fact that there are so many studies done, and none of them can find and long-lasting huge effects is very telling for me. Unlike so many other drugs and foods such as tobacco where they can clearly see huge negative effects, they cannot find anything serious for marijuana. This is not because they are incompetent. This is either because we don't know how to find the relation between the drug and negative effects, or because there aren't any. Until we can prove the former, I will believe the latter.

"These are all negative outcomes of the drug. Marijuana causes a lot of problems that many people do not know about. Keeping the drug illegal will keep others away from these negative outcomes."- Actually I think legalizing and educating about the possible side effects would reduce the number of users. They are no educated on the side effects as much because it is illegal and they are expected not to use it. Let us also remember that the side effects listed do not always appear. The drug effects everyone differently. They also did not say how common these side effects were which is important. Certain drugs can lead to death in certain situations but it is likely a very rare side effect. As for the pregnancy side effects, I think that is a matter of being responsible. Women know not to take drugs when they are on their period like alcohol and smoking, so why would you think it is ok to take a different one? That is the stupidity of the woman and not the fault of the drug.

"My opponent also left out that..."Research clearly demonstrates that marijuana has the potential to cause problems in daily life or make a person's existing problems worse. In one study, heavy marijuana abusers reported that the drug impaired several important measures of life achievement, including physical and mental health, cognitive abilities, social life, and career status.9 Several studies associate workers' marijuana smoking with increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers' compensation claims, and job turnover." Marijuana effects the way a person behaves. This just shows some outcomes that can come if the use of marijuana is part of ones life."- I would like to borrow your argument and say "this is just one study". I think this is also a responsibility issue. You have to do things in moderation. If you do too much of anything it will impair your life. People binge drink and it is bad for them, but just because those people cannot handle themselves doesn't mean we should make the drug illegal. Heavy smokers ruin their lives and die sometimes but that is still legal.

In regards to my opponents last statements, I think that I have shown that there are good effects of marijuana being legal, and I will give another source showing some. Like everything else, there are pros and cons, especially with drugs. In this case however, I think the pros outweigh the cons.

"Maybe some don't do it because it is illegal, but after it being illegal for so long and having so much bad media shoved in their faces about the drug, do you really think they will just start in on it right away? You don't think people like you who think it is so awful and the bad media it gets won't still influence a lot of people? I think that the people who want to do it are doing it now, and the ones that don't want to still won't want to. But, legalizing it would make it safer for those that do it and help in many other ways"-- Alcohol and Tobacco both are always criticized about how bad they are, but that doesn't stop people from doing it and even underage people starting to do it. I feel people use any drug in general for two reasons. One being people being peer pressured into doing it. So many kids get peer pressured into these sort of things and get addicted at a young age. This is one of my main points, we should be trying to stop the distribution of marijuana. It effects these kids who get into it. Their school work becomes less important, the way the act changes, and ultimately it can effect the rest of their lives if they start at a young age. The second reason I feel people do the drug is for "recreational use." Do people really not get enjoyment out of other things? If drugs are the only thing people turn to for enjoyment then their is a problem. These people need help.

"Sure, but all drugs, including legal ones have negative side effects. If people do not know the side effects, that is their fault for not being responsible abut using the drug. Also, if they have bad side effects that they weren't expecting, they probably won't do the drug again. Those who know the side effects and still want to use it should be allowed to as they are allowed to use many other drugs."--You say all drugs have side effects and yes they do, but these include drugs that are prescribed for patients who need medication. Of course all drugs have side effects, but the drugs are to help the people who are sick. Their is a difference, people who use marijuana aren't getting it prescribed by a doctor, they are not in need of the drug. The other drugs that have side effects, are for people who are ill and need the medication either way. There are side effects for marijuana users who DON"T need the drug, and there are side effects for sick patients who DO need some type of drug

"The illegality of the drug is what makes it the most dangerous. It leads to theft, shady dealing, dealers lacing the drug, and other bad effects. These would all be reduced and easily prevented with its legalization because it would have to be regulated, pass health inspections, and other such safety measures."-- You think legalizing the drug is going to stop theft or even users to stop buying from dealers. People will still steal to get money for the drugs and there will still be dealers trying to sell at lower prices. That still leaves problems of dirty dealing and lacing if dealers are still out there. Just because the drug would be legalized does not mean dealers will stop what they are doing. It would make it even harder to crack down on these dealers since marijuana would be so easily available.

"Actually I think legalizing and educating about the possible side effects would reduce the number of users. They are no educated on the side effects as much because it is illegal and they are expected not to use it. Let us also remember that the side effects listed do not always appear. The drug effects everyone differently. They also did not say how common these side effects were which is important. Certain drugs can lead to death in certain situations but it is likely a very rare side effect. As for the pregnancy side effects, I think that is a matter of being responsible. Women know not to take drugs when they are on their period like alcohol and smoking, so why would you think it is ok to take a different one? That is the stupidity of the woman and not the fault of the drug."-- First of all, we do educate kids across the country about how harmful drugs are, and that does nothing anymore. We still have people doing all kinds of drugs. Educating wouldn't change anything, kids are going to do what they want to do. Side effects do occur in almost all cases to some extent. Additionally, people are not responsible. Some people drive after the use or make other stupid decisions. Legalizing the drug would just make everything more readily available for these people to just be irresponsible.

The responsibility issue is brought up a few times by you, so I just want to talk about it for a minute. Drug users are not responsible. Sure some of them are, but for the most part they are people who make irrational decisions. We can not trust just anyone to be responsible with drugs. Even today we worry about people drunk driving and alcohol is legal. The same thing could happen with the legalization of marijuana.

There is no solid, concrete reason why marijuana should be legalized. I have brought up reasons why it should remain illegal and my opponent just disputes them. Their is no reason why it should be legalized. I feel that the negative outcomes that already come from marijuana and the negative outcomes that can continue to come from the legalization of marijuana should be the reasons we keep it illegal.

"we should be trying to stop the distribution of marijuana. It effects these kids who get into it. Their school work becomes less important, the way the act changes, and ultimately it can effect the rest of their lives if they start at a young age. The second reason I feel people do the drug is for "recreational use." Do people really not get enjoyment out of other things? If drugs are the only thing people turn to for enjoyment then their is a problem. These people need help."- Why waste time on stopping the distribution of marijuana? It is not very harmful and there are much more important things to focus on. No matter whether we legalize it or not, people will still do it and they will always find ways to get it. If we legalize it, it will make everyone safer and help the economy. We need to be focusing on the war or poverty, the failing economy, and the needless wars we are in. Marijuana is one of the least harmful drugs and things people make a fuss about, we waste so much money on trying to stop its distribution and waste prison space and funds on keep its distributors in jail, and how much have we prevented people from using it? Barely if at all. What you say about all people who smoke marijuana suddenly not caring about anything just isn't true. Look at all the successful people who smoked weed gratuitously: The Beatles, Carl Sagan, The Grateful Dead, Bob Marley, Michael Phelps, Sir Richard Branson, Barack Obama, Michael Bloomberg, Ted Turner, Stephen King, Arnold Schwarzenegger! These people certainly didn't sit around and do nothing, they did not stop caring about everything, and they were all very successful. I agree, if that is the only thing they can do for fun, they need help. But that is the person's problem, not the drug. Lots of people who smoke pot do lots of other things.

"There are side effects for marijuana users who DON"T need the drug, and there are side effects for sick patients who DO need some type of drug"- Well some people actually do need marijuana for medication. Even so, we have drugs for erections, bigger boobs, they are all recreational and have side effects but no one makes a fuss about them. Those people certainly don't NEED them. Marijuana is a drug used for recreational use, it is up to the user to decide if the side effects are worth it.

"You think legalizing the drug is going to stop theft or even users to stop buying from dealers. People will still steal to get money for the drugs and there will still be dealers trying to sell at lower prices. That still leaves problems of dirty dealing and lacing if dealers are still out there. Just because the drug would be legalized does not mean dealers will stop what they are doing. It would make it even harder to crack down on these dealers since marijuana would be so easily available."- I think that it will make marijuana users and everyone safer because sensible people would buy the legal, clean, safe drug. People who want illegal substances will get them either way. I think it would be easier to track down bad dealers because their weed would be identifiably different from that of the legal kind.

"First of all, we do educate kids across the country about how harmful drugs are, and that does nothing anymore. We still have people doing all kinds of drugs. Educating wouldn't change anything, kids are going to do what they want to do. Side effects do occur in almost all cases to some extent. Additionally, people are not responsible. Some people drive after the use or make other stupid decisions. Legalizing the drug would just make everything more readily available for these people to just be irresponsible."- Wait, didn't you just say that we need to educate them on the side effects? That people don't know them? Also, in all the commercials about weed, I have never seen them actually talk about the side effects. You just agreed with me, kids will do what they want no matter if it is illegal or not. Believe me, weed is already readily available. Why do you think so many people are able to smoke it? If we legalized it, it would make it safer and help the economy. Not everyone is irresponsible, some do not drive after getting high.

"Sure some of them are, but for the most part they are people who make irrational decisions. We can not trust just anyone to be responsible with drugs. Even today we worry about people drunk driving and alcohol is legal. The same thing could happen with the legalization of marijuana."- It is already happening with weed. Making it legal would not make it better or worse. Unless we are able to make all drugs illegal, what you want will never come to be. Even if marijuana was eradicated, we'd have the same problems with all the other drugs. Marijuana is a pretty safe, barely harmful drug, and I would rather support the use of it instead of other, more serious drugs kids will turn to first without it.

"There is no solid, concrete reason why marijuana should be legalized. I have brought up reasons why it should remain illegal and my opponent just disputes them. Their is no reason why it should be legalized. I feel that the negative outcomes that already come from marijuana and the negative outcomes that can continue to come from the legalization of marijuana should be the reasons we keep it illegal."- This is simply untrue. I have shown many economists think it would help the economy. I have shown that it would make the drug safer for those who will use it whether or not it was illegal. I have shown that we waste a lot of money on trying to stop its distribution and jailing those who distribute it that should be used on more important things. I have shown it will keep kids from getting into more harmful drugs. If this is not enough reason to show that it should be legalized, here are more reasons: http://www.alternet.org...http://www.associatedcontent.com...

As you stated earlier, if marijuana was legalized it would have to pass many different health laws. This is true, the government would regulate it and alter it to make it pass what ever health law they will make. The thing is, the drug won't be the same anymore. It will not be as potent and people will not get the same high they used to. After people realizing this, they are going to turn back to dealers anyway. Either way the people will be buying from dealers.
"Because of its potency, domestic marijuana is the most highly prized cannabis product in the world. In 1970, the average THC content of a marijuana plant was 1.5 percent. The THC content of today's sinsemilla variety ranges from 8 percent to 20 percent. Today's marijuana is a drug that is significantly more potent than it was during the Woodstock era." -- This just shows how marijuana has changed over the years and how it is not the same it used to be.

So when you say "What you say about all people who smoke marijuana suddenly not caring about anything just isn't true. Look at all the successful people who smoked weed gratuitously: The Beatles, Carl Sagan, The Grateful Dead, Bob Marley, Michael Phelps, Sir Richard Branson, Barack Obama, Michael Bloomberg, Ted Turner, Stephen King, Arnold Schwarzenegger! These people certainly didn't sit around and do nothing, they did not stop caring about everything, and they were all very successful," you have some facts mixed up. Many, not all, of these people used marijuana years and years ago, when it was a completely different drug then it is today. Sure those people are successful, but not because they used marijuana. The marijuana they used was not even half as strong of what it is today.

" I think that it will make marijuana users and everyone safer because sensible people would buy the legal, clean, safe drug. People who want illegal substances will get them either way. I think it would be easier to track down bad dealers because their weed would be identifiably different from that of the legal kind."--As I said earlier, and you seem to agree with me, that the legal marijuana and illegal marijuana will be two totally different drugs. Users are already used to the high potency drug, and the legal passed drug will not be enough for them.

Here is my support "The writer then states that "if the Government really believes that stronger varieties of marijuana are less desirable, then it has one more reason to support legalization. If cultivation of marijuana were legal, growers would not be pressed to produce the strongest possible product, and health authorities would be able to regulate its production and strength."This logic doesn't hold up. Why would a marijuana abuser opt for a less potent drug when stronger varieties are available? As health regulators distributed the lesser drug, illegal growers would be pushing their higher potency marijuana. More to the point, potency, although a factor, is not the only reason that marijuana should remain illegal. Marijuana contains known toxins and cancer-inducing chemicals, which are stored in fat cells for long periods of time. Scientific research relates marijuana use to damaged brain cells and respiratory systems, decreased hormone production in both sexes, acute memory loss, lowered immune systems and impaired motor skills. THC and marijuana smoke have been directly linked to miscarriage, in-utero fetal death, stillbirth and infant death just after birth, along with behavioral and biological abnormalities of offspring." Illegal dealers and growers would still be out there and there is also more support of negative outcomes. Carcinogens, memory loss, impaired motor skills, the list goes on. How can out government approve of something that does this. I know you may say that the government won't legalize something like this and that it will have to pass a certain criteria, but then we get back to the problem of dealers. We should just skip a step and just be cracking down on dealers. Why waste our time on something that will not work.

"More teens are in treatment for marijuana use than for any other drug or for alcohol. Adolescent admissions to substance abuse facilities for marijuana grew from 43 percent of all adolescent admissions in 1994 to 60 percent in 1999."-- Numbers have gone up. Society does not realize how much of an effect marijuana has on the youth. This is the amount of youth who is in treatment for the drug, just think about how many people do the drug, and how many should be getting help, but are not.

"This is simply untrue. I have shown many economists think it would help the economy. I have shown that it would make the drug safer for those who will use it whether or not it was illegal. I have shown that we waste a lot of money on trying to stop its distribution and jailing those who distribute it that should be used on more important things. I have shown it will keep kids from getting into more harmful drugs. If this is not enough reason to show that it should be legalized, here are more reasons:" You have shown this, but I have proved otherwise. Legalizing it will still sway people to go to dealers. It is not a waste of money if we are helping the youth. Sure if someone uses marijuana they may not use other drugs, but it doesn't lessen the consequences that come of marijuana. It won't work, and it is not right.

Legalizing marijuana would just start a cycle. Here is how it would go: Right now we are trying to crack down on dealers, Then if we legalize it, it would be sold passed by a health law, People will try the legal marijuana and realize it is not potent enough for them, Users will go back to dealers, and here we are again trying to crack down on dealers. It is pointless. Our society should be better informing the youth, cracking down on kids and dealers, and stopping the distribution of this drug.